I had a meeting.

Originally posted by CC-Mom at 2/21/2013 12:04 PM

It's the battle cry of every mom, every woman, every church volunteer.  Another meeting? I have a meeting!  Let's have a committee meeting!  Shall we meet at Panera?  But every now and again, and perhaps more often than we realize, something other than the meeting is occurring.

Yesterday, a church council meeting was on my evening calendar. During the day, I was cleaning the basement for our upcoming move and caring for a 5th grader who was "sick" on my couch.  Adam was out of town, Jono would have baseball practice, and Abby would have dance after school.  I needed to prepare for the Bible study that is incorporated into our council meetings.  I desperately needed a shower.  

I did not attend the Music Board meeting on Tuesday, due to a High School orchestra concert and a meeting for Jono's NY class trip. On Monday, I skipped Book Club to pack boxes.   Meetings.  I have meetings.  For me, they often all fall in the third week of the month, and by the end of that week, I am apt to cancel everything on my schedule and crawl into bed and watch "Survivor" on TiVo.  

Church council is an especially good meeting, and I like it.  I have never tired of serving in this area, and I look forward to these particular meetings.  But on this day, I arrived a little scattered.  My tooth was a little achy, my Bible study was printed and read, but not as prepped as usual.  I was, admittedly, a little cranky. 

I picked up my friend Beth on the way, and we were able to get in a few good moments to talk before the meeting— ah, a bonus— I could feel my spirit starting to fill even before I walked in the door.  I began to realize that I was no longer scurrying around my house.  I was sitting in my car, the snow was falling, it was dark and peaceful. 

We arrived at church together, sat together, prayed together during the opening of the meeting.

During the opening prayer, again I realized. . . I am still.  I am at a meeting, I am not running.  I am here for a purpose.  I am quiet.  I can just do this and only this for as long as it takes.

It was a longer than usual meeting, but I didn't mind at all.   People had prepared presentations to view and documents to review.  While I was having a busy day, so were they, and I owed them my time and my attention, but at the same time, those moments felt like a gift.  Their work was good and interesting.  The Bible study was enlightening .  The peace at the end of the day was welcome.

And it was a meeting.

I had a meeting.  With thoughtful, present, caring, devoted people beside me, it no longer felt like an event on my calendar.   It felt like I was doing God's work, with the dark peace of the evening outside, with my friend beside me and my church leaders around me. 

I had a meeting. 

Amen.